Infamous NFL Draft Busts: Where Are They Now?

Whatever happened to the most infamous NFL draft busts? Some fell back on second and third careers, often by cashing in on their brief time in the NFL’s limelight. Others fell into prison, drug addiction or both.

Here’s what some of the most infamous NFL draft busts are up to these days…

JaMarcus Russell Then

As a redshirt junior at LSU, Russell was named to the All-SEC first team, completing 67.8 percent of his passes for 3,129 yards, 28 touchdowns, and eight interceptions.

The Oakland Raiders took him first overall in the 2007 NFL Draft, before the selections of Calvin Johnson and Joe Thomas, who have a combined 13 All-Pro teams between them.

JaMarcus Russell Now

Russell was out of the league after three brutal seasons with Oakland. In 31 games (25 starts) he completed 52.1 percent of his passes for 18 touchdowns and 23 picks, and reportedly weighed 300 pounds at one point.

In 2019, he started coaching high-school QBs. “I never thought I would want to do this, but it just came to my heart,” Russell said.

“There comes a time in your life when you have done so many things, and you just want to give back.”

Ryan Leaf Then

The Washington State quarterback set a conference record by throwing 34 touchdowns in his 1997 junior season to go with 3,968 yards and 11 interceptions, leading the school to their first Pac-10 championship.

He finished third in Heisman voting behind winner Charles Woodson and runner-up Peyton Manning, who’d go first overall in the ensuing 1998 NFL Draft, one spot ahead of Leaf.

Ryan Leaf Now

In 10 games (nine starts) as a rookie, Leaf threw 15 interceptions and just two touchdowns, completing only 45.3 percent of his passes. He was out of the league after three years.

Leaf then struggled with addiction to painkillers, was arrested multiple times, twice in a span of four days for breaking into homes and stealing oxycodone. In 2012 he got sober and became an ambassador for a nationwide recovery clinic.